Most back pain sufferers add to the agony by ignoring GP advice

VICTIMS crippled by back pain are not doing enough to help themselves, a study has found.

Back pain is linked to poor mental health and can curb love lives [GETTY]

Two-thirds of sufferers who visit their GP apparently do not follow the advice given or do not do the exercises recommended.

So millions of people are ­risking needlessly living in agony ­simply because they are not doing what they are told, ­according to the survey for back care device makers bac<.

Pain is not all sufferers have to put up with.

Some 14 per cent of those polled have to give up sex when back pain strikes.

Sufferers also admitted the pain affected their relationships with children, family, friends and colleagues at work.

Some 24 per cent suffered poor mental health and 35 per cent said it made them short-tempered and snappy.

Back pain is very common, affecting around 85 per cent of us at some point in our working lives

Mark Critchley

More than a fifth reported a negative effect on their work and study, a tenth said they were unable to take care of their pets, including walking their dog, and a quarter felt unable to do ­housework.

The survey of 2,056 people also revealed that 19 per cent felt their pain ­prevented them from enjoying their hobbies, 14 per cent were unable to drive anywhere and eight per cent found it impossible to look after their ­children.

Mark Critchley, a spokesman for bac<, said: “Back pain is very common, affecting around 85 per cent of us at some point in our working lives.

“Sometimes you don’t have to see a GP for back pain as it can be dealt with at home with ­painkillers, gentle exercise and products like our new sacroiliac belt for the lower back, hips and buttocks.

“Of course, some types of pain do need professional help and if you’re worried it’s worth seeing your GP.

“But, if you do, listen to them and take their advice, or it’s a waste of a valuable GP appointment and your time.”

Sixty-four per cent who visited their GP because of back pain admitted they sometimes did not follow advice which could help to ease their misery, the survey found.

Twenty-seven per cent admitted that they visit their doctor more often when they have back pain and one in ten said his or her back problem appointments lasted longer.

In October a report by the Work Foundation think-tank found that Britons now take 35 million working days off a year because of back pain.

The figures are the second worst in Europe and leave ­Britain lagging behind Estonia, Romania and Slovenia in tackling the problem.

The report claimed family doctors are not taking back pain seriously enough because it is not life-threatening.

It said that making sure patients are fit to work is not regarded as importantly as other clinical priorities.

It warned: “Too often GPs do not regard work as a clinical ­outcome to which they should attach priority.”

An estimated three million people consult their GPs about back pain every year.

Possible treatments – most designed just to control ­symptoms – include painkillers, ­muscle relaxants, steroid ­injections, ­surgery, physio­therapy or bed rest.

A bac< range of back care products has been designed by experts from The London Spine Clinic and product design company Seymourpowell to provide non-invasive, drug-free, pain relief.